The city was dead, but not empty, because the shadows of its former inhabitants, from whom only flickers of spiritual energy remained, moved among the ruins of the towers, clinging to the walls as if trying to remember why they had existed, and he walked among them like a master, paying no attention to their weak cries, which sounded like the whisper of the wind, though in reality they were filled with hatred.
He stopped at an intersection where the streets split in three directions, and his fingers felt the cold steel clenched in his fist, the remnant of a god's artifact that he himself had killed many eras ago, and thoughts ran through his mind, fragments of other lives mixed with his own, showing what should have died with them but remained in him, like a poison that could not be squeezed out.
«How many more corpses will it take for this world to finally understand who has come» — he said aloud, his voice hoarse but confident, almost challenging, and in that phrase there was no threat, only a sentence, and the shadows around froze, as if listening, though no one should have heard.
He looked at the system that had appeared before his eyes, now not as random symbols, but as an interface, harsh, strict, almost painful in its precision:
Heavenly Registry of the Last Cycle
Subject: ████████
Status: Forbidden
Class: Fallen Lord of the Era
Title: Godslayer
Karmic Weight: −∞
Domain: Closed
Core: Empty
Soul: Damaged
Body: Restricted
Skills: Limited
Curses: Active
Available actions:
Activation of Combat Mode Energy Absorption Core Extraction Target Memory Viewing
System Note: Any use of power leads to damage to the body or fragments of the soul. Full activation is forbidden.
***
He clenched his fist and activated the first option. The world around him seemed to slow down. Sounds disappeared, the air grew heavy, and the souls of the dead nearby recoiled into the corners of consciousness. He saw the beings that had survived the Fall, their strength levels, core states, the fear they tried to hide, and understanding came instantly: they were weaker, and that meant they could be played with.
«Let's move on» — he said quietly, and his voice, though soft, echoed off the walls of the ruined towers, causing one of the shadows — a woman with empty eyes but former beauty — to flinch. She turned to him, as if awaiting a sentence.
«Who… are you» — she whispered, but the word did not fully form, stopping on her lips, because her soul sensed the danger emanating from him, not in words, but in his mere presence.
He smiled, and the smile was not for her, but for the memory of a world that would never be the same. «I am the one who took the heavens, who tore them to pieces and made them watch as their own pride falls… And you could be next».
She stepped back, and in her gaze flashed the understanding that she was already dead, even if her body still lived.
He raised his hand, fingers stretched out, and a stream of energy burst from his palm, dark and thick like liquid night. He directed it at the ground in front of him, and the ashes of old buildings rose in a whirlwind, mixing with the remnants of spiritual forms, and the system immediately responded:
Combat Mode Activated
Destructive Aura Expanded
Curses Amplified
Target Memory Fragment Acquired
His thoughts skimmed the new data, and he realized that the city's energy now belonged to him, that every soul, every corpse, every memory was fuel for the next step, and his body, though weak, could endure much more if he continued to absorb power slowly, as he had been accustomed to doing millions of years ago.
"You all thought that death would make you stronger, that you could survive the end… You were wrong" — he said, and it was not villainy for amusement, but cold mathematics, where every action was a calculation, every movement a sentence, and every word a weapon.
Suddenly, from the other side of the street came a heavy, unnatural thud. He turned his head, and before him appeared a massive beast, a mix of man and creature, yet so enormous that the ruins cracked under its paws, and from its mouth hissed a sound like the whisper of thousands of fallen cultivators.
«Well… then the game begins» — he said, and his eyes lit up, cold, merciless. He stepped forward, and the system glowed again, showing every level of the creature, its core, its weak points, its memories, and, most importantly, its fear.
He smiled, whispering softly: «You will all become part of me… or die trying».